Abstract: An X-ray tube 1 includes spacer 8 which is cylindrical so it does not block electrons 80 directed from a grid electrode 72 toward a focusing electrode 25, and which has one end 8b fixed to the grid electrode 72 and the other end 8c abutting against the focusing electrode 25. The distance between the grid electrode 72 and focusing electrode 25 is set to a predetermined distance by the spacer 8.

Abstract: An imager is disclosed comprising: one or more detectors, a shutter adapted to open and close periodically to modulate the radiation incident upon the detector element to produce a sequence of alternating open fields and closed fields, said detector being adapted to produce a first pair of output signals Vo1 and Vc1 comprising an open field and a closed field, and a second pair of output signals Vo2 and Vc2 comprising an open and a closed field, a reset device adapted to reset the output of the detecting element to a predetermined voltage after the output signals of Vo1, Vc1, Vo2 and Vc2 have all been obtained, there being no reset of the output of the detecting element between the output signals Vo1, Vc1, Vo2 and Vc2, and a processor adapted to process said first and second pairs of output signals to produce a first and a second processed image signal from the detecting element, the first processed image signal corresponding to the first pair of fields and the second processed image signal corresponding to t

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for detecting gas traces with a semiconductor laser coupled with an optical resonant cavity containing a species to be analyzed. The laser is coupled with the cavity so that the light is not projected back towards the laser when the cavity is in resonance mode. The laser supplies an amplified and fine-tuned emission on the re-injected frequency and, when a current pulse is applied thereon, its frequency moves from a predetermined initial frequency to a final predetermined frequency. The laser is excited by a first current pulse such that its frequency is sequentially locked on the cavity successive modes. The luminous intensity decreasing time in the cavity is measured at the end of the pulse and the excitation and measurement steps are repeated for successive current pulses, to cover a spectral range to be analyzed.

Abstract: A method for performing inspection of raised electrical contacts, such as ball grid array (BGA) and “flip-chip” type contacts, and associated underlying vias, comprises steps of: providing an electrical or electronic device or component having a major surface including an array of closely spaced apart BGA or flip-chip type raised contacts with respective underlying vias; selecting an area-of-interest (AOI) including at least one BGA or flip-chip type contact/via structure; cutting through the device or component along parallel lines to form a narrow, elongated strip including the AOI; mounting the elongated strip on a transparent substrate; and performing X-ray radiographic analysis of the elongated strip to inspect the at a least one BGA or flip-chip type contact/via structure for the presence of misalignments, voids, and delaminations.

Abstract: An optical detector is formed so that gate traces formed during molding of a lens member do not allow additional stray light to enter a light detecting element. A lens member for focusing incident light is mounted forward of a cylinder used for blocking extraneous light. An IC light detecting device used for range-finding is mounted behind the cylinder. The lens member has lens portions and a peripheral portion surrounding the lens portions. The lens portions and the peripheral portion are integrally molded from a transparent plastic material. Positioning protrusions extend from an outer peripheral surface of the lens member. Recessed portions in which the positioning protrusions can be engaged are formed in a front outer peripheral portion of the cylinder. Gate traces formed during molding are located in the positioning protrusions. Consequently, additional recessed portions are not needed to accommodate the gate traces.

Abstract: Method of saturation management of a digital radiographic exposure image in which there are one or more saturation areas, acquired notably after a mammogram on an acquisition chain in automatic mode using a low-dose preexposure image. A mask is made from the exposure image by taking the saturation areas into account; the coverage areas corresponding to the saturation areas of the exposure image are determined on the preexposure image by using the the mask; a digital standardization processing of the gray levels of both the exposure image and the preexposure image is then carried out; and the final image is determined from a combination of the two images thus processed.

Abstract: A microscope which is capable of quickly switching different methods of observation such as phase contrast observation and bright field observation. The microscope comprises a condenser lens for condensing an illumination light, a diaphragm disposed on the optical axis of the condenser lens and having a variable aperture area, an aperture setting means for setting the an aperture area of the diaphragm, a slider disposed on the light condensing side of the condenser lens and having a first aperture portion having a ring slit and a second aperture portion, a first control means for restricting the aperture area to the full open aperture side when the first aperture portion is disposed on the optical axis of the condenser lens, and a second control means for releasing the restriction on the aperture portion when the second aperture portion is disposed on the optical axis of the condenser lens.

Abstract: An object detection system employs a photo-emitter and photo-detector for synchronously detecting and processing an optical signal reflected from an object in a pinch zone of a window or door opening. A photo-emitter light signal is modulated by a modulation signal having an active phase and an inactive phase. The optical detector provides an optical detector signal that is a function of the intensity of the received light. The detected light signal is synchronously detected using a switching amplifier that multiplies the reflected modulated light signal by a first gain during the active phase and by a second gain during the inactive phase. The duration of the active and inactive phases and the first and second gains are selected such that the system gain will average to zero for ambient light when integrated over a predetermined measurement period. The synchronously detected signal is subtracted from a predetermined offset voltage, and this difference is then integrated over the measurement period.

Abstract: An X-ray computed tomography apparatus includes an X-ray tube configured to emit X-rays, an X-ray detector configured to detect X-rays passing through a subject in order to acquire projection data, a processor configured to reconstruct tomographic image data on the basis of the projection data, and an interlock unit configured to monitor generation of an arc in the X-ray tube. When an arc in the X-ray tube is detected, the interlock unit stops emitting X-ray emission from the X-ray tube. When a predetermined period of time elapse from the stop of X-ray emission, the interlock unit restarts X-ray emission from the X-ray tube.

Abstract: An optical correction system for correcting thermally-induced wavefront distortions in an optical signal emanating from a crystal or other form of optical device/system. An optical output signal from the thermally sensitive optical device/system is fed to a beamsplitter, which produces a reflected optical signal and a refracted optical signal containing thermally-induced distortion. The refracted signal is fed to a wavefront distortion sensor which produces an output signal representative of the thermally-induced distortion. The output of the wavefront distortion sensor is fed to a computational device which determines the necessary degree of error correction to compensate for the thermally-induced optical distortion. A stress application device receives the output of the computational device and generates an electrical signal in accordance therewith which is then used to control a force applicator in physical contact with the crystal.

Abstract: An image processing method includes the acquisition of a succession of low-resolution images. A succession of mask images is derived from the low-resolution images. Furthermore, a high-resolution image is acquired. The mask images are applied to the high-resolution image as bandpass filters in order to form a filtered high-resolution image. The filtered high-resolution image represents image information relating to a particular phase of a dynamic process, such as the passage of blood through the vascular system of a patient. The image processing method is used, for example in MR angiography or in X-ray angiography. An MRI system or an X-ray examination apparatus is provided with an image processor for carrying out the image processing method according to the invention.

Abstract: This invention provides an angled-dual-axis confocal scanning microscope comprising a fiber-coupled, angled-dual-axis confocal scanning head and a vertical scanning unit. The angled-dual-axis confocal scanning head is configured such that an illumination beam and an observation beam intersect optimally at an angle &thgr; within an object and the scanning is achieved by pivoting the illumination and observation beams using a single scanning element, thereby producing an arc-line scan. The vertical scanning unit causes the angled-dual-axis confocal scanning head to move towards or away from the object.

Abstract: A joining method designed to minimize the temperature needed to obtain a high strength braze joint between a molybdenum alloy substrate and a graphite disk used in a rotating anode X-ray tube target used for computed tomography applications. The method consists of two separate brazing operations. The first brazing operation joins a thin molybdenum sheet to the graphite disk using a pure metal braze to form a plated graphite subassembly. The second brazing operation joins the plated graphite subassembly to the molybdenum alloy substrate using a highly specialized braze alloy having a melt temperature below the recrystallization temperature of said molybdenum alloy substrate and a remelt temperature after brazing above the recrystallization temperature of said molybdenum alloy substrate.

Abstract: An optical switching system employing switching modules. Each module comprises (a) a source channel, (b) a transmitting element, (c) a receiving element, and (d) a destination channel. The transmitting element directs the source channel signal to a destination channel. The transmitting element includes an initial beam deflector and a beam deflection amplifier. The receiving element includes a beam deflection compressor and a beam aligner. One embodiment of the initial deflector is a pair of focusing lenses, one of which is displaced by a piezoelectric actuator. When one lens is displaced a distance d, the output light beam has a deflection angle &agr;=(f1+f2)/f2. The beam deflection amplifier multiplies the small angle &agr; by a transfer function F to result in a beam with a deflection angle F&agr;. The receiving element is the transmitting element in reverse. The first system configuration connects a single channel to one of a number of channels.